Matthew Fox Fans: Actor calls Huntington experience ‘incredible’

Matthew Fox at a We Are…Marshall news conference
(Quicktime – 13 minutes)

From the Huntington Herald-Dispatch (April 10, 2006)

Actor calls Huntington experience ‘incredible’

HUNTINGTON — While Matthew Fox has been in Huntington less than a week, the actor already feels wrapped up in the collective warmth of the Marshall University community.

Fox, who is portraying city resident Red Dawson, an assistant Marshall football coach when the plane crash occurred in 1970, met media representatives Friday in the Big Green Room of Joan C. Edwards Stadium.

“It’s been incredible, and everyone around has been so supportive,” Fox said of his emotionally draining portrayal of Dawson in “We Are Marshall,” a Warner Bros. Pictures’ film.

Perhaps most recognized for his role as Dr. Jack Shephard on the hit ABC television series “Lost,” Fox has had little time in the switch to portray Dawson. He arrived late last weekend and had to jump into a scene Monday that reflected the heartbreak Dawson experienced after the 1970 tragedy. It claimed the lives of all 75 aboard a chartered jet returning from a football game against East Carolina University.

Dawson had been at the game, but decided to drive back rather than fly with the team.

Fox said McG, director of the movie, has helped him find the emotional center of Dawson. And meeting with Dawson himself last month in Hawaii was invaluable.

“We certainly bonded,” Fox said. “I really consider him a friend. He’s just an amazing guy. It was very valuable for me to get to know him as a man … to hear small, subtle things from him.”

McG, who spoke to the media later on Friday, said the movie is progressing smoothly. Production began Monday in the Huntington area and will remain in town until April 22 before moving to Atlanta.

“I don’t want to jinx it, but it’s going great,” McG said of production. “If I had my way, I’d share the dailies with everyone,” he added referring to each day’s film footage.

McG’s appearance near Marshall’s Memorial Student Center Plaza and nearby production at the Morrow Library attracted a curious crowd, including Robert Hensley of Huntington.

“Just being nosy,” Hensley said, speaking about his proximity to the press briefing. “The director let us watch the monitors (in earlier filming at another location). I find it all fascinating.”

Huntington area residents Crista Hoffman and Heather Richardson also gathered nearby, hoping for a possible sighting of Fox or Matthew McConaughey. While they didn’t get that, they saw several extras file past — dressed in their early 1970s finest, including wide ties and loud plaid jackets.

“That is hysterical,” Hoffman said. “This is interesting. It’s just so neat to think (the actors and filmmakers) are here.”

Wearing a denim jacket and jeans and still sporting reddish hair, Fox said he looked forward to spending his first downtime of the week sightseeing in the Huntington area. He is scheduled to fly out Sunday to resume shooting of “Lost” in Hawaii.

“I love it, I absolutely love it,” Fox said of the Huntington area. “It feels very real to me. I love the old steel bridges and trains. It just has a very, very grounded sort of work ethic and solid soul to it.”

Fox, who grew up on his family’s ranch in Wyoming, said he has many things in common with Dawson, including a love of the outdoors. The actor smiled often during the news conference, including an account of how Dawson enjoyed Fox’s wife’s cooking in Hawaii. Fox prefaced the story by saying his wife, who is originally from Italy, is a terrific cook.

“I asked my wife if she would make her lasagna,” he said. “My wife didn’t think it was her best one ever, but Red’s still talking about it.”

Fox also discussed his appreciation of the negotiations between Touchstone Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures that ultimately allowed him to be in “We Are Marshall.” He said he believes the movie, which has a scheduled release date of Dec. 8, will touch hearts nationwide.

“It’s a story about the strength of the human spirit, about healing,” he said. “That’s a story that translates incredibly well into a film format. The beautiful thing is this story really happened here and has been such a defining factor in this community for all of these years.

“It’s a story that — once it’s told — is powerful and will affect people on a really big scale.”